(USDA.gov via Flickr)

USDA sees reduced U.S. plantings of corn, soy, wheat in 2015-16

Washington | Reuters –– U.S. farmers will plant fewer acres of soybeans, corn, wheat and cotton in the 2015-16 marketing year in response to falling prices, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Thursday. At its annual Agricultural Outlook conference, USDA forecast lower prices for most major U.S. crops following bumper harvests in 2014-15. “Consecutive […] Read more



S. Africa’s proposed ban on foreign land ownership aimed at farms

Johannesburg | Reuters — A South African government proposal to ban foreign nationals from owning land will apply to farms, not residential property, a government minister was quoted as saying Tuesday. In his State of the Nation address last week, President Jacob Zuma said foreigners would be barred from owning land and South African citizens […] Read more



Kellie Leitch speaking in Ottawa in March 2014. (Labour.gc.ca)

Labour minister says CP, engineers urged to bargain

Vancouver | Reuters — Federal Labour Minister Kellie Leitch on Wednesday said she was encouraging the parties at Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) to bargain, but declined to speculate on what Ottawa might do if workers went out on strike. CP said its managers will be ready to take over if the railway’s engineers and conductors […] Read more


(Eggs.ca)

U.S. may lower cholesterol’s level of threat to health

Washington | Reuters — A U.S. advisory panel reviewing national dietary guidelines has decided to drop its caution against eating cholesterol-laden food, the Washington Post reported Tuesday. At a December meeting, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee discussed its decision to no longer deem cholesterol a “nutrient of concern,” according to the Post. The last set […] Read more

Brazil’s grain traders fear monopoly if rail merger allowed

Sao Paulo | Reuters –– Brazil’s grain industry association, Abiove, said on Monday the takeover of the main railway operator America Latina Logistica (ALL) by Rumo, the logistic arm of the biggest sugar and ethanol producer Cosan, could create a monopoly and hurt competition. Cade, Brazil’s antitrust agency, is due to rule Wednesday on the […] Read more